Toy gun.



ATENT trice.

THOMAS H. EVING, OF EL RENO, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

TOY GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming 'part of Letters Patent No. 649,201, dated May 8, 1900.

' Application led May 3l. 1899. Serial No. 718,853. (No model.) i

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. EWING, a citizen of the United States, residing at El Reno, in the county of Canadian, Oklahoma Territory, have invented'v a new and useful Toy Gun, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in toy guns.

One object ofthe present invention is to improve the construction of toy guns and to provide a simple and inexpensive one desiged, primarily, for shooting marbles and adapted to enable a game of marbles to be played without shooting or propelling the marbles with the thumb and capable of making shots of great accuracy.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a toy of this character adapted to regulate the force of' the blow, so that a light or hard shot may be made.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toy gun constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken longitudinally o f the gun. F-ig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a toy gun without a stock or grip.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

1 designates a barrel provided with a grip or stock 2 and having its bore 3 extending entirely through it and receiving a longitudinally-reciprocating plunger 4, provided at its rear end with an enlargement or head 5, which engages the rear end of the barrel and which is adapted to be grasped to retract the plunger for cocking or setting the gun. The reciprocating plunger is preferably reduced between its ends, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and the muzzle of the barrel is provided with a seat 6,

adapted for the reception of a marble and dcsigned to hold the same at the outer end of the barrel. When the plunger is propelled forward by the means hereinafter described, it strikes the marble and throws the latter out of the gun with great accuracy.

The plunger is provided near its rear end with a transverse slot or opening 7, through which passes an elastic strip or piece 8, eX-

tending longitudinally of the plunger at opposite sides thereof, as clearly shown in Fig.

3, and provided at its ends with; loops 9, eX-

tending through lateral openings 10 of the barrel and receiving short keys 11 or other suitable fastening devices located on the eX- terior of the barrel in a recess thereof and spanning the lateral openings 10. The propelling-strip 8 may consist of a band of rubber doubled, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, or it may be constructed of any suitable material and may be arranged in any manner to form the end loops 9.

The plunger is provided at its lower edge with a series of ratchet-teeth l2, arranged at intervals and adapted to be engaged by a dog l13, whereby the plunger may be arranged for delivering blows of different power. The dog 13, which is provided at its outer longitudinal edge with a flange, extends into a longitudinal slot 14 at the bottom of the barrel and is provided at its rear edge with a tooth 15 for engaging the ratchet-teeth of the plunger. The dog is provided at its front end with a notch or recess 16, which receives the rounded edge at the front of the opening 14, whereby it is fulcrumed on the barrel. The dog is supported in position by an elastic band 17, arranged on` the exterior of the barrel in a recess 13 thereof, and the rear end of the dog is engaged by a trigger 19. The trigger 19, which is provided at its front or outer portion with a notch to receive the rear end of the dog, is shown pivoted to the barrel; but it may be mounted thereon in any other suitable manner, as may be readily understood.

When the trigger is compressed or moved rearward, the dog is swung downward out of engagement with the plunger, which is propelled by the elastic connection between it and the barrel.

In Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings is IOO illustrated a slight modification of the invention, the stock or grip being dispensed with and the barrel 20 being adapted to be held in the hand. The dog 2l, which is supported by an elastic band similar to the dog heretofore described, is provided at its front end with an extension 22, arranged at a slight angle to the barrel when the dog is in engagement with the plunger and adapted to be operated by the thumb to release the said plunger.

The invention has the following advantages: The toy gun is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, as the plunger is propelled by an elastic band, and the dog is supported by and is retained also in place by the exteriorly-arranged elastic band. The toy is especially designed for shooting marbles, and it is provided at its outer end with a seat to prevent a marble from entering the muzzle, and the, force of the blow delivered v upon a marble may be readily regulated. The device, besides shooting marbles, is adapted for a variety of other purposes, as will be readily apparent.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction, within the scope of the appended claim, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advantages of this invention.

A device of the class described comprising a barrel provided at opposite sides with lateral openings and having an annular groove thereat, a reciprocating plunger extending through the barrel and projecting rearward therefrom and provided at a point between its endslwith a transverse opening, a continuous elastic band arranged within the barrel and passing through the opening of the plun ger and having its ends extended through the lateral openings to provide exterior loops, removable pins located in the groove of the barrel and engaging said loops, a dog mounted in a slot of the barrel and engaging the said plunger, and an elastic band arranged in the groove of the barrel and engaging the dog, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing a my own I have hereto aihxed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. EVING.

Witnesses:

E. T. MARSH, FRANK CARTER. 

